The University of Lethbridge is going to help you get freaky for Halloween with their production of the Rocky Horror Show.
“This is like a New West revue show on steroids,” described actor Devon Brayne, who plays the newly engaged Brad with his own real-life fiancee Jocelyn Haub, who plays his fiancee Janet in the production.
The 1973 Richard O’ Brien penned British musical which inspired the 1975 cult hit movie “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” runs at the University Theatre, Oct. 16-20 at 8 p.m. every night with a special midnight show, Oct. 19.
Director Jay Whitehead has been planning this show for about a year. He wanted to work with musical director Bente Hansen, who was happy to get on board.
“I knew I was doing a show in October and I knew I wanted to collaborate with  (musical director) Bente Hansen. And it’s Halloween, so what better show to put on than the Rocky Horror show,” Whitehead enthused.

Whitehead who has worked with Hansen in a variety of capacities including several New West Theatre productions also enlisted a couple other New West Theatre veterans for the show including  newly engaged couple Jocelyn Haub and Devon Brayne, who play the newly engaged couple Janet and Brad.

“That wasn’t why I cast them though,” he said.

The couple’s car breaks down en route to visiting an old friend. They run into a unique group of characters.
“It’s about a newly engaged couple, Janet and Brad, who are going to visit their friend Dr. Scott, but their car breaks down. They find a castle and meet Dr Frank ’N Furter who is building a creature when the weirdness ensues for them,” Whiltehead summarized.

“The movie is pretty true to the original musical though there are a couple extra songs in the musical,” Whitehead said.
“We’ve set it in the middle of the ’80s new wave and punk movement. So it’s just wonderful,” Whitehead said.

Devon Brayne is enjoying acting with his fiance in their productions, though he has performed several times with Haub in New West productions.
“It’s always a lot of fun (performing with Jocelyn Haub). It’s great. We get to play larger than life versions of ourselves,” he said.

Playgoers of Lethbridge will be having a bit of fun in a hotel room for their October dinner theatre, Neil Simon’s “London Suite,”  which runs Oct. 17-20 at the Sandman Inn.
Rita Peterson directs the British comedy which features four unique scenes taking place in the same suite in the Connault Hotel in London.

“The first piece is about a writer and novelist who confronts his crooked and desperate agent who stole his life savings,” described stage manager Josh Hammerstedt. The scene stars Playgoers of Lethbridge veteran Jeff Graham and newcomer Mat Smerek, who played Lysander in this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Smerek is glad to be back on stage. Before playing Lysander in Shakespeare in the Park, he hadn’t acted since graduating from Catholic Central High School in 2008.

“It feels like I ’m doing what I should be doing. I’m not even sure why I stopped,” Smerek said.

“I just love being on stage. It’s just such a rush like bungee jumping or skydiving, but this is more for me,” he said. He said he is enjoying rehearsing his scene in an intimate group with Jeff Graham, stage manager Josh Hammerstedt, costumer Shirley Kopitske and director Rita Peterson who saw him perform in Midsummer Night’s Drem and asked him to audition.

“It’s a small and very close group,” he said.

 While he wasn’t familiar with the play “London Suite,” he was familiar with Neil Simon’s work as he was in a high school production of Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

He is enjoying acting with Jeff Graham, who acts in a plethora of productions all over southern Alberta.
“Jeff is fantastic,” Smerek said.

Owen Sound born First World War Canadian Flying Ace Billy Bishop would be proud to see his story told by New West Theatre. So would Eric Peterson and John Gray who wrote the Canadian classic “Billy Bishop Goes To War,” which runs until Oct. 6 at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre.

 Actually the multi-talented Braden Griffiths, who stars as Bishop, reminds me of a young Eric Peterson who toured Billy Bishop Goes to war for years before reaching the public eye on Canadian drama Street Legal and most recently Corner Gas.

 And while one would think a one man show could seem overwhelmingly  long— just one guy talking non-stop— it is definitely not the case here. There is something for everyone here — music, dancing, comedy, drama and a lot of different accents and characters. Griffiths masterfully and effortlessly alternates between all of them.

 He’ll be the mischievous rascal Bishop one moment then the wealthy and uptight dowager the next, then switch to sultry French lounge singer Helene, then a petty military functionary the next moment, then back to Bishop. And he’ll barely blink when doing so.

And even though he could project his voice more, pianist Jesse Plessis makes a solid debut with New West Theatre by playing period piano, shooting out the odd one liner and even sings a couple songs solo while complementing Griffiths’ voice on others. My favourite Plessis moment is his portrayal of the King George V presenting medals to Billy Bishop.